IRAQI LETTER is a blog dedicated to news reports and viewpoints of Iraqi democrats and Left activists. It endeavours to cover important events and relevant activities of Iraqi democratic groups inside Iraq and abroad.
IRAQI LETTER hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the current complex and difficult situation in Iraq, and the multifaceted struggle of Iraqi democrats for a free, fully sovereign, unified, democratic and federal Iraq.

Saturday, 8 June 2013

The 2nd Popular Conference of Iraqi Democratic
Civil Forces is held in Baghdad

The 2nd Popular Conference of Iraqi Democratic
Civil Forces was held in Baghdad today,8 June 2013. It was attended by more
than 500 people, including leading figures and representatives of political
parties, professional associations and unions, civil society organizations and
activists, academics, intellectuals and social figures.

The opening speech was delivered by Kamel Madhat, the
Coordinator of of the Iraqi Democratic Current on behalf of its Executive
Bureau. The Conference then discussed a working paper entitled “The Current
Crisis and How to Resolve It”, dealing with the deepening political crisis in
the country, its dangerous repercussions and ways of resolving it.

The Conference also discussed the future plans of the
democratic civil forces, for containing the crisis and exerting pressure on
ruling and influential political forces that are responsible for creating it.

Participants contributed to the discussions, putting forward
concrete proposals about the role of civil democrats, to foil attempts by
hostile forces and save the country from the abyss.

The Conference announced the launching of the “National
Campaign Against Sectarianism”. Many recommendations were adopted, including
the need to press for social security legislations, and resolving internal
differences through national dialogue, away from external pressures. The
Conference called upon representatives of the civil democratic current in the
provincial councils to be more active in defending the legitimate rights of
people and to listen well to the voices of demonstrators and protesters all
over Iraq.

The Conference also declared its support for the
foundation of the Iraqi Social Forum.

Friday, 7 June 2013

Iraqi CP condemns attack on offices of Communist Party of Turkey

The Iraqi Communist Party strongly condemns the
vicious attack by the security forces on the offices of the Communist Party of
Turkey, as well as the destruction of “Nazim Kikmet” Cultural Centre.

Iraqi Communists also express their support for the
legitimate demands of the peaceful demonstrations of the people and workers of
Turkey for democratic rights, and call for an end to the ongoing repression and
violence by the Turkish authorities.

* Ten years after the criminal invasion of Iraq, what is
the evaluation of the Iraqi Communist Party of the current situation?

The Iraqi Communist Party was working before the war under
the slogan "No to War, No to Dictatorship", and when the war took
place and Saddam's dictatorial regime collapsed, the party stood against the
occupation and called forbuilding an
independent democratic Iraq. We said that the war will not build an Iraq where
the will of the people and their aspiration for a dignified life and democracy,
and building a balanced and dynamic economy, would be achieved. The party
therefore worked after the war with the other national political forces to
provide the prerequisites for evicting the occupier and achieving democracy, independence and national sovereignty.

The years
that have passed since the fall of the dictatorship have not brought about a
lot of gains for the Iraqi people. It is true that the Iraqis got rid of a
heinous and criminal dictatorship, and got rid of the international sanctions,
but the improvement in the standard of living, and in public freedoms, cannot
be considered sufficient compared with the sacrifices of the Iraqi people. The
legacy of dictatorship remains in a lot of the social, economic and cultural fields,
the forces of terrorism and sabotage, including religious extremist, al-Qaeda
and remnants of the former regime continue to operate, and administrative and
financial corruption has increase. All this has hindered and hampered the march
of the country towards new heights that would provide the people with a better
life, freedom and legal institutions that protect the country from excesses of
bureaucracy and the possibility of a return of dictatorship.

After
2003, a political system based on sectarian-ethnic power-sharing was adopted.
This system always produces social tension, political fragmentation and
rivalries that hamper the development of the political process and putting it
on the sound track, and impede the consolidation of democratic institutions and
law protection organs.

So,
summing up, the outcome of ten years since the occupation is modest and very disappointing.
The dominant political forces bear big responsibility for this outcome,
especially that the will of the Iraqi people was able to evict the occupiers
and their military forces from Iraqi territory at the end of 2011. But the
consolidation of national independence, in its diverse dimensions, requires national
unity that is based on a national democratic project, and on the basis of
building a democratic civil state; a state of institutions and the rule of law.
This is what the Iraqi people are aspiring to as they mobilize to bring about
change in the political process and carry out radical that would transform it
from its current reality to one that corresponds with the higher interests of
the Iraqi people and their aspirations.

* Many have considered that the inability to control
the country is a result of the tendency of the central Iraqi government to forge
an alliance with Iran and the United States, and due to the interference by
regimes in the Gulf and Turkey, which encourage a sectarian civil war, for the
purpose of dividing Iraq into three states. In addition, there are recurrent
terrorist attacks against the population. How does the Iraqi Communist Party
analyze this situation?

The natural result of the above-mentioned harmful
consequences of the policy of sectarian-ethnic power-sharing in governance, and
in building political relations, is the intensification of the contradictions
that reflect the divergent class social interests of the ruling strata in the
country. This conflict necessarily gives rise to political trends that do not
serve stability, peace and security throughout Iraq, but rather enhance the
rivalries and tensions and put warring rivals on the path of adopting
undemocratic methods. These methods include setting up militias and using them
to overcome opponents, or resorting to methods of imposing restrictions on
rivals, distorting the character of state institutions, curtailing freedoms,
violating human rights and promoting practices of sectarian discrimination.

On the
other hand, in order that the rival forces increase their chances of success they
seek support from external forces with which they have close interests and as
well as ties on ideological and sectarian level. This paves the way for the
interference of regional powers and others in internal Iraqi affairs at the
expense of the interests of the people. This is what is happening at the
present time, as attempts are made to drag Iraq into the ongoing conflict in
the region by fueling sectarianism and sectarian conflict, in which Qatar,
Turkey, the Gulf states and Iran are playing an active role.

The
escalation of internal rivalries, the tension in sectarian relations and
growing sectarian intolerance are pushing in the direction of tearing up the
country and its national unity, as well as sabotaging the principle of
citizenship and pushing for the division of Iraq. We, communists, believe that
the federal system would be consistent with the Constitution if it respects the
popular will and democratic methods. We also believe that the division of Iraq
or the establishment of regions on a sectarian basis would be an open
declaration of civil war and is incompatible with democracy and the desire of
the people for the principle of citizenship and the unity of the homeland.
Therefore it serves the schemes of regional and international powers, and is in
line with the plan put forward by Biden to divide Iraq into three statelets under
the so-called “federal Iraq”.This will
put the Iraqis in front of a continuous spiral of bloody conflict and terrible infighting
amongst themselves. No stratum or sect will benefit from this criminal
enterprise.

* For two years now, there has been a "war"
against the rule of the Baath Party in Syria, using terrorists, mainly Salafis
and jihadists, who were recruited militarily and financially by the West and
their allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Turkey. What is the position
of the Iraqi Communist Party regarding the war?

We, as a
Communist party, called at an early time for respecting the will of the Syrian
people and their choices, to build a democratic system that embodies the will
of the people and paves the way for the construction of Syria, in line with the
requirements of normal democratic development and constitutional life, and getting
rid of any manifestation of violence.

We were
fully convinced with the reasoning and necessity of this position, in support
of reform and change in Syria, on the condition that this would take place in a
peaceful manner, without interference by any external forces in Syrian internal
affairs, and respecting the popular will. Now that events have evolved and taken
place against the desire of the Syria’s friends and the people of Syria, we cannot
but point to the fact that a lot of terrorists and a lot of the forces of sabotage
had grown and developed in Syria before the Syrian uprising. Many of them were
flocking to Iraq through Syrian territory and with the knowledge of the Syrian
intelligence, killing and slaughtering the Iraqi people without any
justification. Things have now changed, as those elements have changed their
identities and allied themselves with some imperialist powers, and with anti-democratic
parties and forces, and have committed massacres against the Syrian people as
well as sabotage and destruction.

We are
aware of the dangers caused by the escalation of terrorist operations in Syria,
and the growing role of extremist and terrorist forces, such as al-Qaeda
elements and al-Nusra Front. We fear the effects of this war which has acquired
a sectarian character that Qatar and Turkey wants to grow and escalate.

We are concerned
by all this and its negative impact on Iraq’s internal situation in Iraq, on
the one hand, and we believe that its continuation does not serve the interests
of the Syrian people at all. Accordingly, we first call for dialogue between
the Syrian government and the national and democratic opposition political
forces in Syria. Secondly, to adopt a democratic national project that would remedy
the situation in Syria politically, economically and socially.

Third, we
reject the use of violence by all parties, without exception, to achieve their
objectives. We reject absolutely and firmly any interference of foreign states,
in any form, direct or indirect, covert or overt. This is the only path that
can restore Syria’s peace and security and offer its people tranquility, calm
and stability..

* What is the relationship of the Iraqi Communist Party
to the Kurdistan Communist, and how can it be described?

We live in one homeland; have joint concerns and our
general strategic issues are the same. We draw our general Iraqi strategic policy
jointly in the National Congress of the Iraqi Communist Party. The Kurdistani
comrades; members of the Kurdistan Communist, which enjoys an autonomous status
on concrete issues in Kurdistan, participate in this Congress in a proportion
and a manner that is determined by Central Committees of both parties. Along
with other Iraqi comrades, of different ethnicities, they participate in
discussing party documents, give their opinions, contribute to adopting party
documents and take part in the leading bodies of the party. They constitute 20%
of Iraqi CP’s Central Committee, and the secretary of the Central Committee of
the Kurdistan Communist Party is a member of Iraqi CP’s Political Bureau. Between
two successive meetings of the Central Committee, consultative meetings between
the central specialized committees, as well as the political bureaus of the two
parties, and sometimes between both central committees, for deliberation, consultation
and drawing the appropriate tactical plans, especially with regard to joint
Iraqi issues.

At the
same time, the Kurdistan Communist Party has its own program which embodies the
party’s independence in work and within the region. It has its own inner-party
rules, which regulates the work of party organizations in the Kurdistan region
within a single organization. The Kurdistan Communist Party represents an
extension and development of the former “Kurdistan Region Organization” of the Iraqi
Communist Party which has evolved in accordance with the developments of the
political - administrative in Iraq, especially after the establishment of
federalism in Kurdistan.

The
Kurdistan Communist Party draws the details of its programme and concrete
policy which is consistent with this reality in order to exercise its role
among the people of Iraqi Kurdistan and to represent the toilers of Kurdistan.
Our relationship is based on communism and the spirit of internationalism, and on
common history and common general principles. It is a strong, sustained and
dynamic relationship.

* How does the Iraqi Communist Party evaluate the
situation in the Middle East and the Arab world in general, and what do you
think of calling it “ Arab Spring”?

The Middle East is living through a state of transformation
and struggle, based on the aspirations of the peoples and toilers of the Arab
world to see their countries - which possess treasures of natural resources and
a lot of material and human potential - to freedom and prosperous life, but are
living in a state of underdevelopment, poverty, hunger and disease.

Their
aspirations are legitimate. They aspire to rebuild the existing regimes and
bring about regimes that reflect their interests and are consistent with their
wishes and with the possibilities available, the nature of the times and the
prerequisites of natural evolution in the world. It is the right of these
peoples to enjoy a better life, in dignity and freedom, so as to their basic
rights.

On the
other hand, there are backward undemocratic, tyrannical and dictatorial regimes,
backed by the forces of global backwardness and imperialism, that are
exploiting the wealth of the Arab countries, clinging to power with brutal
methods and plundering the country's wealth..

This is
the true nature of the conflict in the Middle East, and it is the basis of
upheaval that is going on. Peoples in the Arab countries, while living through
all the internal and global developments, are interacting with a lot of factors
that pave the way for them to gain their rights. We therefore believe that the
uprisings of the peoples of the Arab countries are not artificial movements and
revolutions that are imported from abroad, or that they were orchestrated by a
conspirator from outside the borders. They have an objective basis, which is the
desire of Arab peoples to establish free democratic regimes in which the people
have the right to a decent living. This is what the Arab peoples are aspiring
to. But unfortunately problems and loopholes that have accompanied this
movement, such as the weak role of organized forces that have a clear political
orientation, as a result of the repression they suffered by dictatorial
regimes, including terror, executions and torture, spontaneity prevailed and
doctrines, ideas and theories were widespread that did not help to lead this
broad mass movement of millions of people to safe shores and to achieve the
desired goals. These shortcomings and vacuum were exploited by internal forces
that some of which had a partial role in the former opposition.

Some forces thus were able to lead the new
political landscape, as they possess material and media potential and enjoy a political
presence better than the new leaderships that lack clear programs, as well as
some of the progressive and revolutionary forces whose contribution presence
had been weakened. These forces, which dominated the scene, received external
support. Many foreign states, institutions and organs had been surprised by the
size of the protest movements, their radical trends and the nature of the goals
at hand. Therefore they worked to contain and curtail these movements, keeping
them within specified boundaries, in order to keep the new regimes under
control and exploit the capabilities of these countries, especially their
natural resources.

This is
the problem that faced the revolutions of the Arab Spring. We honor and respect
the will of the people and their desire for liberation. On the other hand, we spotted
early the deficiencies and shortcomings of this broad mass movement, and warned
against this flaw which paves the way for the forces of counter-revolution, and
the internal and external forces collaborating with them, to contain orientations
of this mass movement.

Despite
this, we believe that it's not over yet and that the struggle has not come to
an end. The revolutionary forces in the countries of the Arab Spring are
fighting and re-organizing themselves in order to prevent counter-revolutionary
forces, and backward and anti-democratic forces, from dominating the political
scene and diverting the uprising and revolution from their real objectives.

* What are the priorities of the work of the Iraqi
Communist Party?

The Iraqi
Communist Party works for the consolidation of democratic institutions in Iraq
and remedying the situation by getting rid of the sectarian-ethnic
power-sharing system which we consider as the scourge that has distorted
political life in Iraq. Getting rid of it is the starting point to
consolidating democracy, as values , institutions and mechanisms and system of
government, and the proper step to rebuilding the country's economy and
directing its resources for its development and securing a better and more
advanced and prosperous life for the Iraqi people and especially their toilers.
It is the path that secures the cohesion of the social fabric, the activation
of the principle of citizenship, the rejection of discrimination and the prevention
of regional and external interference. It lays the foundation for the restoration
of Iraq's full sovereignty - economically and politically - and removes all
traces of occupation and dictatorship that ruled Iraq for many years.

The Iraqi
Communist Party has participated in the electoral contest and its
representatives in the coalition electoral lists have adopted programs that are
consistent with its own national democratic program. They aim to secure the
rights of the Iraqi people, in equal job opportunities, rejecting discrimination,
the provision of services, ensuring human rights and stability, ending the
state of security chaos and combating terrorism, rebuilding Iraq on sound
economic basis and according to a scientific strategy to utilize the enormous wealth
from oil revenues to rebuild the economy, fight unemployment and revive the
standard of living of the population. This is what representatives of the party
in the electoral coalitions fought for in the provincial elections that took
place on 20 April 2013.

Along this path, we have been able to go a long way in eliminating the legacy
of dictatorship on the one hand, and the legacy of the occupation and war on Iraq,
on the other hand, and moving forward to build a unified and independent
democratic federal and civil Iraq.